Next year’s Student Senate had a chance to get its feet wet Wednesday night in a variety of duties including two appointments to the senate and two requests from surplus.
This year’s Student Senate President Jessica Timpany presided over the quick meeting only to help the new senators understand procedures and did not have voting power.
After the March election, two seats remained open for next year’s body. The senate approved Lindsey McLean to one of those openings. In similar fashion, she filled an open seat in February and served the rest of the year.
The senate placed Devin Dinihanian into the other seat. Dinihanian, a member of the Human Rights Alliance on campus, was involved in the protests and work pushing for the University to join the Worker Rights Consortium. He said in his appointment presentation Wednesday night that he hopes to be part of the University senate also.
Senators approved both appointees quickly and unanimously — a change from previous meetings this year when prospective members of the ASUO Constitution Court and senate were questioned in depth about their goals and visions for the University and the student incidental fee.
With the exception of returning Sens. Peter Watts, Jennifer Greenough and C.J. stGabbe, few of the new senate members asked questions of the appointees.
But after a while, the senators became more inquisitive of the two groups coming up for money requests from surplus. The University Literary Society received $3,244 for printing its literary magazine, and the Native American Student Union received $339 to recover costs from its recent pow wow event.
Finally, the senate appointed McLean and Greenough to the chairwoman and vice chairwoman positions of the senate during the summer. However, Timpany said that the new rules governing summer business haven’t been ratified and made ASUO law by the court yet.
The president and vice president for the year will be chosen at the first meeting during fall term.